Christian Reichert, Anna Olasz Win FINA Open Water 10K World Cup Swims in Hong Kong

open water swimming

LAUSANNE, Switzerland, October 18. Ninety three swimmers from 21 countries arrived at the waters edge just few minutes before 8 a.m. today, allowing an hour for swimwear inspection and the application of their numbers and sun block. Precisely at 9 a.m. the 51 male competitors entered the 27.5 centigrade water, holding one hand on the start rope for mere seconds before the horn signaled their official start. The athletes would be expected to navigate five loops each of 2km. A pleasant air temperature of 26 degrees and a light westerly wind made for ideal conditions.

The 42 women would start five minutes after the men’s race following the identical course that was peppered with more than 40 boats and kayaks.

Esteban Endenca of Ecuador would lead the first lap followed closely by a trio of U.S. swimmers including Peterson, Sean Ryan and David Heron. Entering the second lap many of the swimmers would bypass the enormous feeding dock in the placid waters of the bay.

Peterson continued to set the pace at the 4km-mark but his American teammates fell back while Brazil’s Diogo Villarinho and Andreas Waschburger of Germany advanced to the second and third positions. The athlete from Ecuador drifted back into fourth while Brazil’s do Carmo found a place close to the leaders with intentions of reeling them in during the final sprint.

Daniel Fogg of Great Britain moved into the top spot temporarily during the third lap but at the buoy marking 6km he was replaced Australia’s Jarrod Poort. Brazil’s do Carmo made the decision to stick to the new leader like glue. Peterson dropped back into third but Thomas Lurz of Germany, open water’s most decorated swimmer in history, had advanced to fourth position in the lead pack hoping that he could be within reach of the leader. Ryan of the USA and Endenca of Ecuador were nearly even in fifth position as they navigated the turn buoy to compete the third lap.

At the 7km-mark Peterson of the USA retook the lead but followed closely by Olympian Fogg of Great Britain. London bronze medallist Richard Weinberger climbed into third position just ahead do Carmo and Villarinho of Brazil. Peterson held onto his lead at the 8km turn buoy with Fogg on his heels. Feeling confident Weinberger claimed the third position just ahead of do Carmo. Christian Reichert became the third German to rotate into the top five hoping that their strategy would yield a favorable result at the finish line.

Waschburger moved into the lead at the beginning of the final kilometer while do Carmo was just a few inches behind the pace of the German leader and only a few inches ahead of multiple world champion Lurz. North Americas Weinberger and Peterson jockeyed for the fourth and fifth positions hoping to be in the best position for the final chase and the sprint to the finish.

The Germans would be rewarded for their strategy and their teamwork as Christian Reichert would be the first to land his hand on the touch pad in a time of 1h56m12s4. Reichert was beaming with pride as he left the water:

“It was tough at the end, it was a very hard race. I decided in the last 800m to go in the front. At 50m before the last buoy I decided to make the sprint. I was looking all the time just to be sure that I was always in front. I worried that I did not have enough power for the sprint, but in the end I touched first so I am happy.”

Allan do Carmo of Brazil finished three tenths of a second behind the winner of today’s race. The Brazilian also claimed FINA’s top ranking and prize money for the series. German’s Andreas Waschburger touched third, just one half of a second behind Reichert. Their teammate Thomas Lurz finished in fifth place. Diogo Villarinho of Brazil placed fourth just off the podium.

Hungary’s Olasz touches first among women

The first lap of the women’s race was led by Melissa Gorman of Australia. The pack of swimmers chasing her included Great Britain’s Keri-anne Payne, Samantha Arevalo of Ecuador and Gorman’s teammate Jessica Walker in fifth position.

Payne would take the reigns in the second lap and she would be closely followed by Christine Jennings and Emily Brunemann of the USA. A likely strategy was employed by Brazilian swimmers Ana Marcela Cunha and Poliana Okimoto who maneuvered into the top five of the second lap.

Arevalo of Ecuador advanced into the lead at the midpoint of the race, trailed by Okimoto and Jennings showing the muscle of open water swimmers from the Americas at the 5km. New Zealand’s Charlotte Webby and Hungary’s Anna Olasz rounded out the top five positions. Payne took charge at the 7km with Australia’s Gorman chasing her. Brazilian stars Okimoto and Cunha were shadowing the leaders while Arevalo of Ecuador kept herself in the mix.

Okimoto was firmly at the helm of the race at the 8km mark. Her teammate and collaborator Cunha swam in her shadow and just ahead of Payne, Gorman and Arevalo as these swimmers signaled that they would be sprinting together at the finish. The Brazilians remained firmly in charge at the 9km mark while Gorman, Payne and now Hungary’s Anna Olasz rounded out the top five positions.

The pace of the women’s final kilometer was picking up and would soon be at breakneck speed. Hungary’s Anna Olasz would slap the touch pad first at 2h05m20s7.

“I really thought the race was going to be like last year where the first three laps were kind of easy and the last two laps got much faster. After my third lap today I tried to break into the group. I felt really good, I came here in great shape. I knew the last lap was going to be fast and I waited for everyone else to make their move and then I made mine in the last 800m.”

Poliana Okimoto of Brazil finished just two tenths behind the leader. Kerri-anne Payne of Great Britain and Ana Marcela Cunha of Brazil tied for third place stopping the clock at 2h05m22s2.

Post-race, overall winner of the Series Ana Marcela Cunha said:

“The season was very successful. As I raced to be the champion in the last race, I am eager to know my place in history as someone who was on the podium at every stage. Today, I was beaten by someone who swam better than me and I did not win, but I’m happy with the result, and hoping for another podium soon.”

Overall winner among men, Allan do Carmo of Brazil said: “I finished the year positively with another podium. The close results demonstrated the level of the World Cup, with each stage having a different winner. I won only two races, the sixth and seventh stages.”

The above article is a press release submitted to Swimming World. To reach our audience, contact us at newsmaster@swimmingworld.com.

Results: FINA Open Water World Cup, Hong Kong

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